A drummer with a wedding band drove home from a reception while nearly four times the legal drink limit - because he was afraid his kit would get stolen.
Luis Malvessi, 36, percussionist with top Scottish wedding band Celebrity Guests, was stopped at the wheel of his Audi TT in Brightons, Falkirk.
The father-of-two, who has also played with Stone Roses tribute band The Complete Stone Roses, had planned to get a taxi but changed his mind because he didn't want to leave his gear in the Audi in an "unfamiliar area," Falkirk Sheriff Court was told today.
Prosecutor Rebecca Reid said: "Due to an unrelated matter, police had circulated a description of a motor vehicle that the accused was known to drive.
"About 1.30 in the morning they cautioned the accused. He confirmed it had been him driving, and he was subjected to a breath test."
The incident occurred on Saturday July 31, 2021.
Appearing in answer to an undertaking, Malvessi, a father-of-two, of Falkirk, who is separated from his wife and lives alone, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
The breath sample he provided proved on analysis to contain 79 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres, nearly 3.6 times the legal limit, which is 22.
Solicitor Murray Aitken, defending said: "He is a self employed musician - a drummer.
"In terms of the circumstances of the offence, he had been out for lunch with a neighbour, the neighbour had been going on to a wedding party, Mr Malvessi was invited along, and at this gathering he consumed a significant amount of alcohol.
"He says his initial intention having started to drink was to leave the vehicle and get a taxi home, and he is really at a loss to provide any sensible explanation as to why that changed and he ended up driving.
"All he can think of is that there were a number of bits of equipment in his vehicle and he didn't want to leave that at the roadside in an area he wasn't familiar with.
"He fully appreciates there's no excuse and he shouldn't have been doing it."
Mr Aitken said a driving ban would present "a significant difficulty" to Malvessi.
He said: "He plays in a band and a lot of his work is therefore late at night and it will be difficult for him, with the equipment to carry and the hours of work, without a licence.
"His industry has been hit hard by the pandemic.
"He does fully accept that he has no-one to blame but himself, but he asks the court to deal with him as leniently as possible, given the particular impact.
"He could pay a financial penalty, and he's got a vehicle which he intends to sell."
Sheriff Ian Anderson disqualified Malvessi from driving for 14 months and fined him £500.
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